Use of the Global Trigger Tool in patient safety improvement efforts: Nordic experiences

Abstract

The Global Trigger Tool (GTT) developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is a method for retrospective patient record review based on the use of `triggers'--signals of potential adverse events that have caused patient harm. The method has the purpose of patient safety measurement and monitoring among adult inpatient populations and has been increasingly popular among Nordic countries. Use of the GTT in the Nordic area has been part of broader legal and policy actions and initiatives supportive of patient safety promotion and is being used to establish also national level estimates of patient safety incidents. Limitations of the method are its dependency on quality of documentation and the varying inter-rater reliability observed in many studies. Strengths of the GTT are its ability to detect larger numbers, as well as different types of adverse events when compared to other incident detection methods, hence it is a good addition to the palette of means for organizational patient safety monitoring. Research on reliability, usefulness and implementation approaches of the GTT, including its automation, is ongoing in the Nordic countries and is expected to generate useful input for the international patient safety community.